It seems hard to believe now, but back in 1982 British TV consisted of three channels – BBC1, BBC2 and ITV – and it had been almost 20 years since a new TV channel was introduced to the UK (BBC2 having launched in 1964). All that was to change on 2 November 1982 with the introduction of Channel 4. I guess there are probably quite a few people around now who don’t even know that it was called “Channel 4″ because it was, simply, the fourth channel.

The service famously opened with the first Countdown programme and, apart from the news service, Countdown is the only original programme still being broadcast on C4. To differentiate it from the established channels, C4 was given a broadcasting remit to be innovative, experimental, appeal to a culturally diverse section of society, include programmes of educational value, and be distinctive. The unique way in which C4 chose to interpret its remit often landed it in hot water with decency campaigners

The boundaries between what is new, fresh and challenging and what is simply tasteless are often hard to define precisely and with shows like the Red Triangle series, The Tube, and Network 7 Channel 4 pushed these boundaries to their limit.

There’s no doubting the pioneering spirit of the channel though. They brought us Big Brother which, although on the wane now, was a cultural watershed when first broadcast and has kept its audience rapt for many years, and of course no article on C4 would be complete without a mention of Shameless – one of the most original dramas to be seen on any TV screen at any time.

C4 decided not to let its innovation remit be bounded by the small screen, and began funding independent movie making with the production company Channel Four Films, later renamed FilmFour. With the advent of the digital TV age, Film4 as a channel was joined by E4, More4 and their counterpart +1 channels as Channel 4 maintained its healthy competition with equivalent channels from the traditional independent broadcaster ITV.